Leif Enger’s Peace Like a River Essay

I examined Jeremiah 13:1-11in these three translations: New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), and The Message (MSG); most of the perspectives will be coming from the NIV. The NIV calls this narrative ‘A Linen Belt’, the ESV called it ‘The Ruined Loincloth’, and the MSG called it ‘People Who Do Only What They Want to Do’. The story starts out with God telling Jeremiah to buy a linen belt and not to let it touch water. Jeremiah bought the linen belt and tied it around his waist just as God told him to do. Then God said to him that he should take the belt to Perath (possibly the Euphrates) and hide it in a crevice amongst the rocks. Jeremiah obeyed God, went to Perath and hid the linen belt in a crevice between the rocks. Many days later God told him that he should go get the belt that he hid amongst the rocks and Jeremiah listened to God so he went back to Perath to retrieve the linen belt. Jeremiah retrieved the belt, but now has a belt that is ruined and useless. Then God said, “In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless!  For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me, to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they

Jeremiah is very joyful because he doesn't let his heart problem get in his way and is the coach of a baseball team at the age of twelve. Jeremiah is a positive kid because even though he’s 12 years old and has a heart transplant he looks on the bright side and he’s still able to be a coach. He is kind because he does not say anything bad to people even though he doesn't know them. He is funny because in one part of the book Jeremiah said “ Walt has a big brain. He’s officially a computer genius, but even bigger than his brain is his heart.” He is outgoing because when he went to his school he made new friends quick because he was nice and he was confident to talk to them. He never gives up because one day they needed to practice but it was raining so Jeremiah had to convince everybody to practice they did it thanks to Jeremiah. He is caring because his takes good care of his heart at the end of the book he told his heart “ What was the thing that turned your heart around? What healed it?... I’ll say, It was baseball that did it. Every hit. Every miss. Every person. Isn’t that right

A “biblical guide to resolving personal conflict”, this, in a nutshell is what “The Peace Maker” is all about. In this critical book review I will be taking topics from the book and giving the reader my personal views on how I either reacted or related to the topics covered. My goal for this paper is to give the reader a non-biased opinion of “The Peace Maker”, which was published by Baker Books in June of 2004.

Right off the bat, the novel starts out with a miracle. It is the miracle of Reuben, who was born with lung issues. When confronted with his not breathing son, Jeremiah commands Reuben, “Reuben Land, in the

Throughout Peace Like a River, Jeremiah performs miracle after miracle. These miracles are as simple as fixing an unfixable saddle, providing an endless bowl of soup, and saving Reuben’s life twice. When first encountering these miracles I personally was left in a state of awe and wonder. Jeremiah’s faith was so strong his children and some readers compared him to prophets or even Jesus. When Jeremiah is in doubt or in need he turns directly to God and goes into deep prayer. Reuben looks up to his father in awe and as the narrator of the book he is one of the main or only witness to

In the book, Peace Like a River, Reuben as the narrator depicts Jeremiah as a divine mortal. The first time Reuben paints this picture is in the first chapter. Reuben states that Jeremiah says, “Reuben Land, in the name of the living God I am telling you to breathe”(Page 2). Jeremiah some how manages to bring back a child who hasn’t been breathing for 12 minutes. Reuben proceeds to assert “the answer, it seems to me now, lies in miracles”(page 2). In the start of the book, Jeremiah is already portrayed as a blessed person. Later on in the book every time a miracle happens, the Reuben will say make of it what you will. In the end, Jeremiah performs one last miracle and sacrifices his life for Reuben, affirming him as a great parent and person

Jeremiah was born around 650 B.C. The son of Hilkiah, a priest from the town of Anathoth, in a small village located North of Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin.The meaning of his name is “Yahweh Exalts” and “Yahweh Throws”. His career is believed to have started when he was around twenty or twenty three years of age. The book begins with an account of Jeremiah was called to be a prophet even before Jeremiah was born Yahweh had a plan or purpose for him to fulfill. There is much information known about Jeremiah’s personal life as a prophet than any other in the Old Testament because he has give glimpses into his thinking, concerns, and frustrations.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" (Budha).

Jeremiah's intervention is observed when he insists, “breathe ….breathe! …. Reuben Land, in the name of the living God I am telling you to breathe” (Enger, p. 3). Jeremiah ordered his son to breathe, even though twelve minutes had passed since he was dead; however, when he orders Reuben to come back to life, he says that in the name of God he must resuscitate. Reuben was not destined to live, and because his father's choice went against what was supposed to happen, Reuben must live an asthmatic life that limits what he is able to do. Ultimately, Enger portrays how all decisions have consequences, and many times the results will not be the expected ones.

Brown, M. L. (2010). Jeremiah. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Jeremiah–Ezekiel (Revised Edition) (Vol. 7, p. 358). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

that no one must do wrong. “…that to commit injustice is in every case bad and dishonorable for the person who does

1982 "Be as Men Who Are Facing Har-Magedon Unafraid .. In behalf of such right-hearted individuals Jehovah has considerately raised up his 'prophet to the nations.' .. In behalf of such individuals who at heart seek God's rule instead of man's rule, the 'prophet' whom Jehovah has raised up has been, not an individual man as in the case of Jeremiah, but a class. The members of this class are, like the prophet-priest Jeremiah, wholly dedicated to Jehovah God through Christ and, by the begettal of Jehovah's holy spirit, they have been made part of 'a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession' .. At this late date, there is a mere remnant of this 'prophet' class yet on earth." {WT Oct 1 1982 26-7}

In chapter 29, one hears Jeremiah say to accept servitude to the Babylonians. The Judeans have come under punishment from God for their sins. They have received the punishment due to them according to God and their lives it seems at this point are at the hands of their enemies the Babylonians even though their fate is in God’s hands. Jeremiah continues to speak out prophetically fighting against those who are false prophets who are intent on telling the people warm and fuzzy lies to cover up and deny the brokenness that has caused them to be in exile. God has spoken to Jeremiah of why Judah must be in exile, why Judah must come to terms with what has happened to them. Jeremiah knows God wants Judah to turn and repent for turning away from God but the people do not listen to Jeremiah. When the people finally listen to Jeremiah they are already in exile in Babylonia. Jeremiah must send letters to proclaim God’s Word to them. Jeremiah was one of those who were left behind in Judah. Jeremiah was left behind seeing the destruction of Jeremiah’s homeland first hand. Jeremiah has been deemed the ‘weeping prophet’ because of Jeremiah’s deep care and love for the people of Judah and for God. Jeremiah feels not only the grief God experiences for having to destroy the people but Jeremiah feels the grief of the people being destroyed. Jeremiah weeps in chapter 9 because Jeremiah knows what is coming. But on the other hand, Jeremiah wanted to see the truth of God’s reality come to fruition because Jeremiah knew of God’s great love for God’s people. The ethos Jeremiah uses in the prophetic word Jeremiah speaks is genuine and in no way false as the words of the false prophet, Hananiah when Hananiah spoke saying the exile would only last two years (Jer

Jeremiah’s calling led to unusual occurrences when he was called by God to be a prophet. God spoke to Jeremiah and told him that he was chosen to be a prophet before he was conceived (Tullock & McEntire, 2012). Unlike other prophets, Jeremiah was told by God that he would preach in other countries. He was too young to fully comprehend it when he recognized his calling. The Lord promised deliverance and protection for Jeremiah as he ministered to Israel and other countries. His preaching led to the judgment of sin by removing and destroying its negative aspects and replacing it with God’s promise (Tullock & McEntire, 2012).

At the age of 20 years old, in 626 B.C. Jeremiah began his prophecy against Jerusalem and Judah. The Lord showed Jeremiah visions and pictures of the sin of Jerusalem so that he could relate it to the people. God gave the prophet the ability to see and understand these visions of future events so that he could reveal God’s plan to the nations. Jeremiah would cry out in the ears of the people until the third and final destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. by the Babylonians. During his life, Jeremiah faced many hardships and trials. His life is described as lonely, and his ministry seemed to bring very little profit. He is sometimes referred to as the “weeping prophet” because of these difficulties. Through it all, God never left